Siempre Con Nosotros – Always with Us © 2020 Priscilla Martinez

Mi Casa es Tu Casa: Nuestras Familias / My House is Your House: Our Families

Online Exhibit Dates: October 28 – December 13, 2020

Mi Casa es Tu Casa is PVA’s annual exhibit inspired by Día de Los Muertos (Day of the Dead), a traditional holiday in Mexico that celebrates those who have passed away. This year our exhibit features the papel picado collection of Cheryl Marquez and Paul Brennan; regional artists’ interpretations of this holiday; and coloring pages from the Fiesta de Día de Muertos activity book published by the Watsonville Film Festival. PVA hosted Watsonville Film Festival to film  Day of the Dead celebration, which  kicked off on Wednesday, October 28 as well.

Mi Casa es Tu Casa Curator Statement 2020 Engl-Spanish

Virtual Tour

Film Day of the Dead Celebration.

THE GALLERY IS CURRENTLY CLOSED

We will not be holding a physical celebration/opening reception

“People, Places & Poetry”

We are pleased to present PVA’s annual members show, a collection of fine art works contributed by 58 of our members, includes paintings, poetry, drawings, sculpture and mixed media creations.

PVA annually honors our loyal members, who are comprised of both artists and art appreciators, with an exhibit. Each year these artists are challenged by a theme to inspire them and stretch their creative thinking. The result is always a lively, interesting show.

The theme of this year’s show is “people, places and poetry”. The artists were asked to create a passionate expression of people and places that they have experienced in life. We asked our members to create fresh new and original artwork to make this truly a unique member’s exhibit.

PVA thanks our Curators, laura laura and Lyn MacDonald

To view the online gallery for this exhibit, click here.

Campesinos: Workers of the Land

Campesinos: Workers of the Land; Virtual Tour
Campesinos Poetry Reading

Campesinos: Workers of the Land, exhibit will open when shelter-in-place is lifted and be on view in the gallery through October 4, 2020.

We have a spectacular exhibit at the Pajaro Valley Arts gallery, sitting behind locked doors. While our gallery door is currently closed for the safety of our staff, guests and community, our virtual door is open for you to experience Campesinos: Workers of the Land online at: https://my.matterport.com/show/?m=UmneBURGKjJ

We are grateful for the dedication of our agricultural workers, and celebrate their contributions through Campesinos: Workers of the Land.

Exhibit planning started late in 2019 as collaboration between Consuelo Alba, Watsonville Film Festival; Gabe Medina, Watsonville Artist Meet-up; and Pajaro Valley Arts. Ms. Alba was looking for a venue to show the work of two artists who were to be highlighted during the film festival. Farmworkers are central themes for both artists. Together, we expanded this concept so that regional artists would have the opportunity to show their work.

This exhibit was conceived to honor the dignity of our campesinos/agricultural workers and farmers. We asked artists to create and bring us work that represent what they see, feel, and believe as they pass by our fields everyday. We asked for artwork that represents the issues of dignity, labor, workers’ rights, immigration, and the duality of every day living for migrant workers. We received incredibly personal, visual and audio stories that celebrate the lives and contributions of our families and community of agricultural workers.

Artists: Hannah Baldrige • Carlos Campos • Jessica Carrasco • Ruth Carroll • Victor Cervantes  Warren Chang  • Arleene Correa Valencia • Linda Curtis • Kati D’Amore Francisco Joseph Dominguez • Jenny Dowd • Veronica Eldredge • David Fleming  Armando Franco • Juan R. Fuentes • Ome Garcia • Michele Hausman Hedwig Heerschop • Erica Hernandez • Rosa Gabriela Hernandez • Bill Kennann  • Lucien Kubo • Barbara Lawrence • Yesenia Magdaleno-Solis • Mac McWilliams Gabriel J. Medina • Jay Mercado • Jonathan Sánchez Moreno • Don Monkerud Ed Penniman • Joel Rigler • Jaime Sánchez •  Craig Sherod • Leon Sun • Shmuel Thaler  Samuel Torres Jr. • Graciela Vega

Curated by: Gabriel J. Medina and Judy Stabile
Juried by: Consuelo Alba, Gabriel J. Medina and Judy Stabile

Exhibit Dates: January 27 – November 6, 2020

At the Santa Cruz County Government Center

701 Ocean Street, 3rd Floor, Santa Cruz, CA

HOURS: MONDAY – FRIDAY from 8:00am – 5:00 pm

Presented by Pajaro Valley Arts, Vote! Your Vote is Your Voice was invited by County Clerk, Gail Pellerin, to reprise our 2019 exhibit at the County of Santa Cruz Government Center during their most important 2020 election season. This exhibit aims to inform, inspire and develop greater interest in the non-partisan democratic process. Co-curated by Maria Gitin and Pajaro Valley Arts Curator Judy Stabile, the exhibit features Bob Fitch photography from the archives of  Stanford University Library and artifacts from civil rights veteran Maria Gitin.  The exhibit includes contemporary regional artists interpretation of voting rights and informative displays from Santa Cruz County Elections Department and Watsonville City Clerk’s Office. A visual timeline highlights key events in voting rights history including the historic Watsonville v. Gomez case.  The exhibit is presented in partnership with Santa Cruz County Elections Department, and Santa Cruz County Arts Commission.  

TOURS: For history of the exhibit and group tours Monday-Friday 10:00am – 2:pm Contact Curator, Maria Gitin: to make an appointment.

Participating Artists:
Jessica Carrasco, Myra Eastman, Bob Fitch, Jane Gregorius, Hedwig Heerschop, Matt Herron, Lucien Kubo, Joshua Moreno, Helen Ruiz-Thomas,Jaime Sánchez, Sandra Takashima Shaw, Peggy Snider, and Carol Wallberg.

The exhibit is free and open to the public, suitable for students and adults, venue is ADA accessible.

“This project was made possible with support from California Humanities, a non-profit partner of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Visit www.calhum.org.”

Take Aways: Art To Go!
January 22 – March 8
Opening Reception: Sunday, January 26, 2:00PM – 4:00PM

This annual invitational exhibit features seventy-seven of the county’s most notable artists. As a fundraising event these artists are presenting works that fit into many budgets. Several donated pieces will be part of a raffle drawing during the closing reception on March 8. In this wildly popular show everyone benefits; you take home fabulous art the day of your purchase, the artists and PVA get their normal commissions, and new art comes into the gallery every day!

Click here for the Virtual Tour

Mi Casa es Tu Casa
PASAJES Y PUNTES / PASSAGES AND BRIDGES

Exhibit Dates:
OCTOBER 23 – DECEMBER 15, 2019

Opening Reception:
Sunday, October 27, 2019
2:00pm – 4:00pm

Mi Casa es Tu Casa is PVA’s annual exhibit inspired by Dia de Los Muertos (Day of the Dead), a traditional holiday in Mexico that celebrates ancestors and others who have passed away. Altars (ofrendas) are built in homes and public spaces to honor and remember the dead. Similar customs exist throughout the world and we share common ground with many cultures in our desire to honor and remember those whom we have lost.

Our theme this year is Pasajes y Puentes / Passages & Bridges. Passage is the act of moving through, over, under, or past something on the way from one place to another. Boats are symbolic of passages as well as the journeys and transitions that we make in life and in death. Bridges can symbolize progress, connections, transitions, and stability, as well as a way to reach a destination.

Opening Reception: Sunday, October 27
2:00PM – 4:00PM
Performances by: El Sistema and Ballet Fo/k/6rico Olin

November 10, 2019: Poetry Reading at the gallery 2:30PM – 3:30PM

Click here for virtual tour